The Effects of a Mindfulness and Biofeedback Program on the On- and Off-Task Behaviors of Students with Emotional Behavioral Disorders

• Published in: California school psychologist 2017-12, Vol.21 (4), p.347-357
• Main Authors: Rush, Karena S., Golden, Maria E., Mortenson, Bruce P., Albohn, Daniel, Horger, Melissa
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescents; Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder; Autism; Behavior; Behavior Change; Behavior Disorders; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Biofeedback; Child and School Psychology; Children & youth; Clinical trials; Cognitive therapy; Control Groups; Core curriculum; Education; Educational Games; Educational Psychology; Elementary School Students; Elementary schools; Emotional Disturbances; Emotions; Experimental Groups; Heart rate; Intervention; Learning; Medical imaging; Mental depression; Mental disorders; Mental health; Metacognition; Middle School Students; Mindfulness; Outcomes of Treatment; Physiology; Positive Behavior Supports; Program Effectiveness; Psychology; Quasiexperimental Design; Rural Schools; School districts; Special Education; Stress; Students; Systematic review; Teenagers; Theory of Mind
• ISSN: 2159-2020; 2161-1505
• DOI: 10.1007/s40688-017-0140-3

Research suggests that mind-body techniques are useful for enhancing self-regulatory behaviors, including attention and emotional regulation. The majority of research in this area focuses on adult behavior. However, there has been a growing interest in using mindfulness techniques with children and more recently, in the school setting. Students identified as emotionally disturbed (ED) could potentially benefit from such interventions. In this study, a 12-week mind-body curriculum utilizing mindfulness and game-based biofeedback techniques was implemented in special education emotional support classrooms with elementary and middle school students. A quasi-experimental design was implemented to examine the effects of the mindfulness and biofeedback program on students’ on-task and off-task behaviors in the classroom. Results indicated significant decreases in overall off-task behaviors and improvements that approached significance in on-task behaviors for the participants in the treatment group ( n  = 14) compared to the participants in the control group ( n  = 17). The potential benefits of using a mindfulness and biofeedback program with ED students are discussed as well as limitations of the study, implications for practice, and recommendations for future research.